Fenton Vessels
by Kyler Brennan
Summary: Sequel to Phantom Unleashed. Second story in the Love Comes From Everywhere series. Evelyn's had her children, but the ghosts still are after Danny. One ghost, however, just wants to be a mother...
1. Satellite

A/N: Welcome to the fluffy sequel to Phantom Unleashed! I still own nothing, aside from my own OCs.

This time, the album I was listening to was Vessels by Starset.

This story may be shorter than Phantom Unleashed, and filled with timeskips.

Thanks to christine . kim . 524 and unknownwolf1996.

I do advise any readers to join our totally awesome discord server. There you can meet other readers, get sneak peeks that only members of the server can get, a chance to ask about certain things from stories (so long as they don't spoil anything), a chance to give suggestions for future chapters, and even future stories/oneshots! You can also promote your own fics and link to your favorite fanfics. Joining Discord is totally free, too. We don't make money off of you guys joining our server, we just want to actually be able to meet with the people who read it! Remember, PM me for the link!

* * *

 **Chapter One: Satellite**

The screams of pain came from the delivery room. Inside the delivery room, Evelyn Geller-Fenton was gripping onto her husband's hand tightly as she pushed.

"Just a little bit more Mrs. Fenton! The first one should be out soon!" The doctor told her.

After a few more minutes, sharp wails were heard. "It's a girl!"

"How does she look?" Evelyn asked Danny with clenched teeth.

"She looks perfect," Danny said. "You're doing great."

It took about ten more minutes, but the second baby came out with a call of, "it's a boy!"

Evelyn was red in the face, exhausted as she heard the cries of her children. They had been told months ago she was having twins, but they opted not to learn the genders. Now they knew, and the women knew exactly what to name her children. When it came time to give them names, she had them picked out already.

"For the girl, Alexina Winona Fenton. For the boy, Jacob Wilson Fenton," Evelyn said. _She_ had been the one to carry both in her belly. _She_ was going to name them.

Evelyn was the first to hold her children, Danny hovering over her shoulder anxiously. He looked happy to be a father, but the fact that he had dangerous enemies had him worried for two more lives- especially since they couldn't exactly defend themselves at the moment.

The young woman looked at her husband knowingly. "You want to hold one of them?" She asked with a smile.

"Are… Are you sure?" He asked, looking at his son and daughter. They were so small and fragile.

Evelyn laughed. "I'm sure, Danny," she said, letting him take Alexina in his arms.

"Hey there baby girl…" He said, looking at the bundle in his arms. "I'm your daddy," he whispered.

Alexina was lighter skinned than Evelyn, but still darker than Danny. She had tufts of light hair on her head and her eyes, when she opened them, were a dark ocean blue.

Jacob, on the other hand, was the same skin tone as his twin sister, with dark hair on his head and bright green eyes like Phantom.

Alexina cooed, looking at Danny. Kicking her tiny feet, she tried to blow a raspberry. He couldn't help but laugh at that, smiling. He really had children now.

* * *

Six months later and the twins were doing well. They stayed together for the most part, they even held hands.

Currently, Danny was out, fighting with Skulker once more while Evelyn was sitting with the kids in a rocking chair, reading them a poem.

" _The sky is dark and the hills are white  
As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,  
And this is the song the storm-king sings,  
As over the world his cloak he flings:  
_" _Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"  
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:  
_" _Sleep, little one, sleep."_

 _On yonder mountain-side a vine_  
 _Clings at the foot of a mother pine;_  
 _The tree bends over the trembling thing,_  
 _And only the vine can hear her sing:  
_ " _Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;  
_ _What shall you fear when I am here?  
_ _Sleep, little one, sleep."_

 _The king may sing in his bitter flight,_  
 _The tree may croon to the vine to-night,_  
 _But the little snowflake at my breast_  
 _Likes the song I sing the best,–_  
 _Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;_  
 _Weary you are, a-next my heart_  
 _Sleep, little one, sleep._ "

Both children fell asleep rather quickly, and Evelyn smiled. They had been getting better at sleeping lately.

The room felt colder, and then Jacob was suddenly gone from her arms. A shadow-like ghost with red eyes was holding the infant.

Evelyn couldn't do much, but she glared at the female ghost. "Give me back my son!" She exclaimed, already waking Alexina up. That woke Jacob up as well, who noticed that he wasn't in his mother's arms. That got both children screaming.

"I will, eventually," she said, glowing green from the misery the infant was expelling. "But you have to tell your _hubby_ that Doctor Spectra wants a session with him before you get your kid back," she continued, disappearing with Jacob.

"Jake!" She exclaimed. Not Jake. Not her baby boy.

The young woman held her daughter close, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't leave Alexina now, not when Jake was gone. "It's okay, sweetie," the mother hushed the crying infant. "I'll make sure we get Jakey back."

That was how Danny found his wife five minutes later. The young man looked worried, not seeing his son anywhere. "Evelyn? What happened? Where's Jake?"

"A- A ghost… She took him," The young woman forced out. Alexina had finally fallen asleep again, but Evelyn wouldn't let go. "She s- said she wouldn't give him b- back until you did a session with her. C- Called herself Doctor Spectra."

Danny's hands formed fists. " _Spectra_ ," he growled out. "Don't worry. I'll find him, I promise."

* * *

In the Ghost Zone, Spectra was carrying the now-quiet Jacob. The baby had shed his last tear for the time being and was now emotionally exhausted.

"Aw, done already?" Spectra cooed, trying to get the child to cry more. This child's misery was _delicious_.

"Yes, you are," a soft yet gruff voice said. Spectra turned around to see an elf-eared, blue skinned ghost with red eyes and cat-like pupils. Their hair was a very light shade of blue and they wore a pink dress.

"Oh, _Max_ ," Spectra purred. "What a pleasant surprise. Are you here for a session?"

"No, but I'm going to be taking that child now," the ghost said, turning invisible. They quickly grabbed Jacob and teleported a few feet away. "I don't know what you planned on doing with this child, Spectra, but I'm stopping it _now_."

"It's none of your business, but if you want to keep the kid, by all means go ahead," she said. "I'm sure Phantom would _love_ to see his son with _you_."

"... You did not _seriously_ kidnap one of Phantom's children," Max deadpanned, looking at the child. He didn't _look_ like one of Phantom's.

Spectra didn't answer, she was already gone.

"Don't worry, young one," Max said softly. "If your father really is Phantom, he'll come find you. Until then, Auntie Maxine will watch you," she continued, floating towards a door that looked like the entrance to a baby's room.

Going inside, it looked exactly like a nursery, complete with a white crib. Maxine put Jacob in it, looking down at the brown-haired child. Then she noticed his eyes. Hadn't they been green before? Now they were glowing an icy blue.

If she didn't think that the child was one of Phantom's before, she did now.

* * *

The next day, Evelyn could be found sleeping in the nursery. She had promised to keep Alexina safe, so she put a ghost shield over the child's crib and gone to sleep in the rocking chair. But it didn't take long for the young woman to wake up, feeling sick to her stomach. She remembered this feeling.

"... Not _now_ ," she muttered to herself, getting up. They kept pregnancy tests on hand now, after the birth of the twins. Evelyn thought she was paranoid for it, but she felt glad now. Maybe she was just feeling sick because a ghost took her child, but one could never be too sure.

After taking the test, she felt a bit better. It was negative.

The young mother sighed in relief, then heard her child crying. Steeling herself, she went back to her child's room, only to hear the crying stop. Looking into the room, she saw her husband floating above the crib. The shield was down and he currently didn't have legs. Instead, he had his tail, and was letting the six-month-old try to grab the wispy appendage.

"... You're going to drive her crazy doing that," Evelyn said with a small smile.

"I know." There was a pause. "Spectra didn't have him."

Evelyn frowned. "Where could he be?" She asked softly.

"He's somewhere in the Ghost Zone, I know it," Danny said confidently. "I'll go back in and-"

"I'm coming with you."

"What? Evelyn, no-"

"That _wench_ took him. _Our_ son. I'm helping you look."

Danny sighed. "Stay in the speeder," he said. He could get this done faster on his own, but his wife had a point.

* * *

In the Ghost Zone, Maxine was panicking. The child was crying and she didn't have any food for him. She couldn't just _leave_ the child, either. He was _way_ too young to be left alone in the time it took for the ghost to get him something he could eat. Bringing him with her could prove dangerous and disastrous as well, mainly because she was a ghost. Holding a _crying human infant_.

"Shhh," Max said, rocking the child gently. "It'll be alright."

Jake kept crying, flailing his tiny arms and legs. The child's eyes were glowing blue yet again, very brightly.

"Alright, alright, we'll go get something to eat," she said quickly, leaving the lair.

That would prove to be a horrible mistake on her end. As she made her way through the Ghost Zone, a silver and green vehicle made its way in the direction she was in.


	2. Frequency

A/N: Did you have fun last chapter? I know I did! What will happen to Maxine? Find out now!  
PS: Sorry this is a bit shorter than others!

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Frequency**

Max frowned, seeing Phantom and the Specter Speeder. Maybe he would understand if she explained?

Evelyn spotted her son instantly. "Danny, it's-"

"I know. Wait here," Danny replied, flying over to Max. His hands were glowing dangerously. A duplicate was following him. It was obvious there _was_ going to be a fight. "Give me back my son," he said in a low tone.

"Phantom, I can explain-" She tried to get out.

"I'm only giving you one more chance before I _make_ you. Give. Me back. My son."

Maxine gulped. "Alright, alright," she said softly, handing the crying infant to the duplicate. She was then blasted back into the Ghost Zone by the original Phantom.

Jacob was given back to Evelyn, who calmed down significantly. She checked him over for injury, finding none. He actually seemed well taken care of.

Maxine tried to explain while she was getting battered. She wouldn't fight Phantom, that would only make things _worse_. "Phantom, _please_!" She exclaimed. "I took him from Spectra, I couldn't find you so I kept him safe until you arrived!"

"Then why was he crying!?"

"Danny, he's fine!" Evelyn exclaimed. "He's just hungry!"

Danny frowned, his hands losing their glow. "... You didn't hurt him?"

"I would _never_ ," Maxine answered. "It's my dream to become a mother."

The halfa sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry for-"

"There's no need to apologize. I would do the same thing if it were my child. You didn't know me, so you thought I would try to hurt him. It's the logical conclusion here."

Evelyn frowned. This ghost just wanted to be a mother. She knew that feeling from when she had been pregnant. If this ghost wanted to care for children so badly… "Danny, I have an idea," she said.

Danny floated over to the speeder, looking at his wife and son. "Yeah, Eve?"

"I… I know how that ghost feels," she said. "When I was pregnant, I felt the exact same way. She seems harmless enough. What if… We let her watch them? She'd be able to protect them while we go out and we'd be able to sort of… Help her. Be a mother, in a way."

"... You're asking me if we can make this ghost our nanny, Eve. We don't even _know_ her!"

"I just have this feeling, okay?" She pleaded. "We could give her a trial. A month. If she doesn't do what she's supposed to, we'll make her leave."

Danny sighed. He didn't really _like_ the idea of letting a random ghost into his home to watch his children, but Evelyn did have a point. "... One month. Then we decide if she leaves or stays."

Evelyn smiled. "Hey, uh, ghost? Sorry, I didn't catch your name," she sighed. "We've got an offer for you.

Max floated over, looking puzzled. She thought that the child's mother would be the _most_ angered, but that was apparently wrong. "Yes?" She asked. "And you can just call me Maxine or Max."

Evelyn nodded. "Right, Max. We were just talking and… Well… I know how you feel, about wanting to be a mother. How would you feel about coming with us? You could be, like, the nanny."

"... Do you really mean it?" Max asked, eyes wide.

Evelyn nodded. "Just for a month, at first. To see if you're a good fit."

Max smiled, her form shifting. Her skin turned pale, her eyes losing their glow but gaining elongated pupils. Her hair went from very light blue to a pale blonde. "I'd be glad to," she said.

Evelyn opened up the side door to the speeder. "Then get in. You have to meet Jake's sister."

"... He has a sister?"

"Twin sister- Alex."

* * *

Max walked into the nursery and smiled, looking at Alexina. The girl was a redhead now, and cooing happily while she sat up on the floor. Her brother was finally back, so the girl stopped crying, oddly enough.

"So you must be little Alex," Max cooed. "Aren't you _precious_ ," she said with a smile.

Evelyn walked in, sitting at the rocking chair with a sigh. She looked at her stomach. She had taken another test. It was positive. "Max, looks like you're going to have your hands full," she tried to joke, but she was tired.

"What do you mean, Miss Evelyn?"

"Just Evelyn, please," she said with a wave of her hand. "And I'm pregnant, again. Don't tell Danny just yet. I want to make sure I get through the first trimester without any problems."

Max smiled, clapping her hands together in excitement. "This is wonderful news, Evelyn!" She exclaimed. "Any name ideas yet?"

Evelyn shook her head. "No, I'm only in the first few weeks," she said with a smile. "I'm going to tell him after I get a test done," she said. "I learned about a test called a noninvasive prenatal test. It looks for certain conditions, and it can also tell the gender. I want to make sure this baby is perfectly healthy."

Max nodded. "Right, right," she smiled. She really was getting her wish of being able to care for children. Maybe not as a mother, but she would still be able to help these children.

* * *

After about a month, Evelyn had gone to the doctors and come back. She was past her first trimester, and the results of her NIPT had come back. She was having a little girl.

She needed to tell Danny.

Walking down to the lab, Evelyn put a hand on her stomach instinctively. "Hey, Danny?" She asked, peering around the corner. He was putting ghosts back in the Ghost Zone.

"Yeah, Eve? What's up?" He asked calmly, turning back to his human form.

She held the papers tightly, wrinkling them slightly. "... It's a good thing we got this house," she said lamely. "Because we're going to need another nursery."

"What do you mean we're- You're not… Are you?"

"You're gonna be a daddy to three," she laughed. "It's a girl. Sorry I kept it from you for so long, I wanted to make sure everything was fine before I told you."

Danny hugged Evelyn, smiling. "This is great news," he said with a laugh. "We've already got practice with the twins."

Evelyn smiled back, hugging him tightly. "This time, _you_ can name her. So start thinking up names, _daddy_."


	3. Die For You

A/N: We're wrapping up with Fenton Vessels, just one more chapter to go! Also, don't worry, there is stuff planned for Evelyn's relationship with Danny's parents. I just didn't find it that important to the plot to give it a central role in the story. There is a one-shot regarding Danny bringing Evelyn to meet his parents in the works. Much later. Once everything starts coming together there will be a order list on my profile.

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Die For You**

It was mid-July and had been six months since Evelyn had gotten pregnant. She was now showing a lot more, and was starting to look like a balloon.

It also happened to be the twins first birthday.

Max was off in the ghost zone, on her day off. Mainly because there would be ghost hunters at the Fenton household and she was still, very clearly, a ghost.

Richard and Spencer were already there. The two took a room in the basement while the rest was a lab. Jack and Maddie were on their way- with Jack's driving it would probably only take a few more minutes. Jazz said she would _try_ to make it.

The party itself was almost all set. Evelyn had wanted to do all the work, but being six months pregnant kept her from doing some things. Little Rylie, as they had come to call the child growing inside of Evelyn, kicked a lot, and often kept her up for a few hours every night.

The doorbell rang and Evelyn smiled, seeing the RV in the driveway. She opened the door with a smile. "Jack, Maddie, come in," she said with a smile, letting them in. "Danny's getting the last of the decorations up while my dad and my brother are getting the food ready. The twins are play-"

"MAMA!" Jacob screeched.

"-ing in the other room. One moment." She rushed off to the playroom, seeing Jacob standing against the playpen. Alexina was currently throwing a ball against the wall of the playpen, finding that much more fun. She picked up her son with a smile. "What're you doing, silly boy?"

"Mama!" He repeated, giggling. He was wearing a white onesie that had a moustache on it. It was a pun, and if anyone asked Evelyn, it was 100% Danny's idea. It said "If you moustache, I'm one."

Alex, on the other hand, just wore a white onesie that said "One" in golden, cursive letters, She wore a gold headband with a big pink flower, and a pink tutu.

"Yeah. Nana and Papa are here to see you and Alex," she said with a smile.

Jacob giggled, seeing his father's parents in the doorway.

"Want to go say hi, little man?" She asked with a smile, putting him down. The one-year-old instantly grabbed onto his mother's leg for balance, but slowly let go, making slow, shakey steps towards his grandparents. Once he was close enough, he latched onto Maddie's leg with a grin, feeling her pick him up.

"Hey there Jake," she said softly, looking at her grandson. "Happy birthday."

"Yeah, happy birthday, Jakey!" Jack added with a grin. "I brought you and Alex some fudge to share for your birthday!"

"Dad, I really don't think fudge is the best thing to give them," Danny said as he walked in, giving his mother a one-armed hug. "Hey mom, dad," he greeted. He then picked up Alex, the little girl cooing and squealing. She _loved_ her father.

"Nonsense, Danny-boy!" Jack cheered. "If they can have cake, they should be able to have fudge!"

"Only a _little_ bit, please," Evelyn sighed. "We don't want them getting sick."

Spencer poked his head out of the kitchen. "Hey dad!" He called back to his father. "They're here!"

"I'm coming, Spence, don't worry," Richard laughed at his son, coming out of the kitchen. "Jack, Maddie, it's good to see you both, you look well," he said. He and the elder Fenton's had gotten along quite well after the wedding, mainly because Richard had been very interested in ghosts. He didn't know Danny's secret, but living in a world where ghosts roamed the lands more often than they did in his realm, he wanted to make sure his family was safe.

"Thanks, Rick," Jack said with a smile.

"I can't believe they're already one," Maddie added with her own smile.

"Yeah. And in three months they'll be a big brother and a big sister," Evelyn said, rubbing her belly.

* * *

The party went well. Jazz showed up in the middle of it and gushed over the children, who took it in stride. The cake was chocolate with pink and blue frosting, and it was good. Alex and Jake got it practically _everywhere_.

Finally, it was time for Jazz, Jack, and Maddie to leave.

"Thanks for coming," Evelyn said with a tired smile. Danny was putting the kids to bed at that moment, and Max was coming in through the ghost portal in the basement.

The kids had gotten a lot of new toys and clothes, and Max was coming up with her own present from the twins.

The ghostly nanny met Danny in the nursery. "Hey," she said softly. "Is there time for one more present for them?"

"They're asleep, but go for it," Danny said as he set Jacob in his crib.

Max showed him two boxes. "I got them a matching set. And don't worry, I paid. I got these in the ghost zone, some collector was selling them before Walker could get to them." Opening the boxes were two matching tennis bracelets. They both had rubies in them. "I know they're too big right now, but I did a little magic and, well… They should help them when they get older," she smiled.

Danny smiled back, putting them on a high shelf. "Thanks, Max," he said. "And thank you for helping with the kids."

"It's no problem, Danny," she said. "I love taking care of these little angels and I can't wait for little Rylie to be born."

"Only three more months," he said, seeming excited himself.

* * *

It was only a month after the party that Evelyn was being rushed into the operating room for an emergency c-section. She had gone into labor early, two months before she was due, and the baby was stuck.

Another scream tore out of Evelyn's throat. Danny was out, fighting ghosts. He didn't even _know_ she had gone into labor. Spencer and Richard were there, however. Richard was holding his daughter's hand while Spencer listened to the doctors. Richard would make sure she had someone with her in Danny's steed. Spencer would be the one _thoroughly berating_ Danny for not picking up his phone.

It felt like a hospital drama as Evelyn and Richard went past the doors. After ten more minutes, Spencer _finally_ got a hold of Danny.

"Twenty minutes," Spencer deadpanned before Danny could say anything. "It took you _twenty minutes_ to answer your damn phone."

" _I'm here now, what's wrong?_ " Danny answered. He didn't think anything was wrong. Oh, how _wrong_ he was.

"Rylie decided _two months early_ was a _great_ time to come out and she got stuck. Lyn's in the operating room now to get Ry out."

There was complete silence from the other end of the line for about a minute. " _... She's having the baby?_ "

"YES! SHE'S HAVING THE BABY!" Spencer practically screamed. He was stressed because he could still _hear_ Evelyn's screams of pain.

" _I- I'll be there in two minutes._ " The line went dead.

Spencer wanted to throttle Danny.

* * *

It took five minutes for Danny to get to the waiting room for the emergency room. "H- How is she?" He asked, looking at Spencer.

Spencer glared at Danny. "She's wishing you were in there with her," he deadpanned. "They said she's almost done."

Just as he said that, Richard came out, wearing scrubs. "Rylie's out. They're transferring her to the NICU. Evelyn's going to stay overnight at the hospital and get discharged tomorrow," he said to Spencer, before seeing Danny. "She's been asking for you, y'know. You should get in there."

Danny didn't need to be told twice. He booked it to Evelyn the minute he saw her exit the operating room. "Eve," he sighed.

"H- Hey, Danny…" She said softly. "Ry's finally here. S- Seems she was s- sick of being cooped up."

"Are you alright?" He asked as he followed his wife.

"I- I'm fine," she said. "Just tired. I… I want you to check on R- Rylie for me… Please?"

Danny nodded. "Of course," he said. "But first I want to make sure you're all set up, okay?"

"R… Right," she mumbled, eyes closing.


	4. Ricochet

A/N: Final chapter in Fenton Vessels! Next up is Fearless, and that'll be a huge timeskip, with the addition of one new character! In this chapter, the twins are 1 year, 3 months old- 15 months. Rylie has just been born. In Fearless, the twins will be 6, Rylie 5, and the new character 3.

Remember, this series (Love Comes From Everywhere) has its own Discord server! PM me for the link and you'll get to meet everyone involved in the creation of this series, plus other readers! Sneak Peeks are included!

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Ricochet**

Danny was looking at his newborn daughter in the incubator. She was attached to so many devices and she looked so small and _helpless_. Even more so than his twins when they were first born.

He stuck his hand inside the incubator, lightly caressing Rylie, who whined softly in response to the touch. She quickly quieted down, however, when she heard him speak.

"Hey there, Rylie," he said softly. "I'm your daddy…"

Soft blue eyes opened to meet Danny's sky blue. He smiled softly. The little infant had already captured his heart. He didn't notice he had pulled his hands out of the incubator when the child had whined at him, as if asking him to do it more.

Danny chuckled, putting his hands back in and just letting the child grab his fingers, which made her quiet down.

It took Evelyn about a half hour before she could come up to see her child. She smiled when she saw Rylie. Light hair on her head, soft blue eyes.

"She's beautiful," Evelyn commented.

"She's strong," Danny added.

"Oh, is she now?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow. "Rylie, are you stronger than daddy?"

The child blew a raspberry. It was obvious she didn't know what was going on in the slightest. That made both parents chuckle.

"We'll have to watch her closely, Danny," the young woman sighed. "She's two months early, she's going to be a bit later than Alexina and Jacob." Evelyn paused. "But she's still going to do great things… I just know it."

Danny nodded. "Right," he said as he looked at his daughter.

"Looks like someone has her daddy wrapped around her finger already," the brunette joked.

"What? No, she's just… She's so tiny and cute," Danny tried to defend.

"It's okay, Danny. No need to make excuses," the parents laughed and talked softly as Rylie went back to sleep.

* * *

About a week later, they brought Rylie home for the first time. They were greeted by Maxine and the twins watching TV quietly. It was on Sesame Street.

Well, Maxine was sort of watching. The twins were asleep.

That was, until, the young couple came in. Maxine turned to see them. "You're back from the hospital and is that- oooh, she's so small," the ghost cooed, walking over to look at Rylie.

"Yeah," Evelyn sighed. She was tired. "I'm going to go get Rylie in bed then I'm going to go take a nap myself."

"Alright, Eve," Danny said with a frown. She was just tired, he knew it. He turned to his twins and smiled, already seeing Alex wake up. She squeaked, which woke Jake up.

"Dada!" Both twins squealed, and he picked them both up, spinning them. The twins laughed, before Jake poked Danny in the nose, making the halfa laugh.

"So, how were they, Max?" He asked with a smile.

"They were wonderful, as always," she responded with a smile. "Alex is just starting to get the hang of walking while Jake is walking from one end of the playpen to the other with almost no help."

"Good job, both of you," he said with a smile, planting a kiss on each child's forehead.

"I think it's about time for their naps, though. I can put them down, unless you would like to?" Max asked, looking at her employer.

"I can do it. I haven't really seen these squirts in a week, with Rylie in the hospital," Danny replied with a smile.

"Alright. Shall I make lunch for you while you're upstairs?"

"That'd be great, thanks Max."

* * *

About ten minutes later, the twins were asleep in their cribs and Danny was downstairs, having a sandwich and chips while he watched the news. Max was tidying up the play area.

Evelyn walked down the stairs slowly, tiredly. She grabbed herself a bowl of cereal and plopped herself next to Danny.

"How was your short nap?"

"Couldn't sleep. Kept worrying about Rylie," she muttered, digging in with a fork of all things.

"... Yeah, I can tell you haven't slept," he said, taking the fork from her. "I'll go get you a spoon."

"Mmm… Alright," she mumbled. She was barely even paying attention to the TV as it talked about something political.

Once she had a spoon in her hand she went back to eating.

"Danny… Do you worry about Rylie?"

"Well, yeah. I worry about you and all the kids," he admitted.

Evelyn sighed. That wasn't what she meant. "I mean… She's so small. Do you worry about her more than normal?"

Danny frowned, looking at his plate. "Well, yeah," he admitted. Then, he looked at Evelyn seriously. "It's hard not to. But I just remember how strong her mother is, and I know she'll make it through anything."

Evelyn smiled. "So I just need to remember how strong her daddy is," she replied, looking at Danny. The talk had really helped her. Putting down her bowl, she gave Danny a one-armed hug. "Thanks for the encouragement."

"No problem," he replied with a smile. "I know you'd to the same for me."

Before they could continue, however, Rylie started to cry. "I'll get it," Evelyn said with a grin, getting up.

This was the start of a beautiful life.


End file.
